


The Suitor

by redeem147



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-09
Updated: 2011-08-09
Packaged: 2017-10-22 11:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/237364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redeem147/pseuds/redeem147
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who sent Joyce those flowers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Suitor

I wondered why he wasn’t at Mom’s funeral. I knew she was seeing someone. The name on the flowers said Brian, but there was no Brian there. I asked around. I figured he was too upset, that the thing with them was too new. Must have been hard, to have a few dates and then have her gone. I wanted to meet him though; tell him he’d made her happier, at least for that little while.

 

I miss Mom so much. My world has changed, inside and out, and I wish I could have leaned on her. I am glad she didn’t go through that summer when I was dead. Dawn thinks it would have killed her anyway. I don’t know, I think it would have been good for Dawn to have her. No point worrying about what could never be.

 

I wonder what she would have said about Spike? I know she liked him, up until she found out about his feelings. She asked if I’d led him on in any way. What would she have done if she’d seen how I treated him year before last, how I’d used him? What would she say now, if she knew that my feelings had changed? Knew how much I love him. Heck, sometimes I still have trouble dealing with that.

 

She never liked Angel, not really. Angel and Spike. I think Spike was right, that I am a groupie. I’d think it was just some abnormality about being the Slayer, or even just some weird twist of fate, if it wasn’t for Dawn.

 

My sister, and the first boy she ever kissed was a vamp. She swore she didn’t know about Justin until it was too late, but how can that be? His skin was cold, he didn’t have a heart beat. Did she really think he was so cute that she got that distracted?

 

And that doesn’t explain Daniel. He’s a good guy. Nicer than Spike ever was, before the grand chipping, anyway. He loves her, and she loves him. But he’s still a vamp.

 

And sometimes I think that it’s best that mom isn’t around. That she’d never know what to make of her girls. That we’d both be big disappointments to her.

 

At least, that’s what I thought.

 

I was at her grave side the other night. I go there sometimes, to talk things out. Just to feel her near. More than anyone else I know she isn’t really there, that she can’t hear me, but somehow it helps anyway. Sometimes I find bouquets of flowers there. I used to think they were from Spike, but he says no.

 

Anyway, the other night, when I got there, a man was kneeling beside the stone, placing some flowers on the grave. Roses. She liked roses. When he stood up and turned around, I froze. Just for a second. Then I pulled the stake out of my pocket. But I had to ask. “Why the flowers? Why my mom?”

 

“Slayer,” he replied. “I knew we’d meet, one day. She was so proud of you. I’m Brian.”

 

I didn’t stake him. We talked for a little while. They had met in the park one night and got talking. She never got it. I guess it’s why she gave Spike hot chocolate and marshmallows. She was always willing to see people as people, even when they weren’t. He didn’t tell me his story, but he said he didn’t drink human blood anymore for some reason. He didn’t have a soul - I asked. And he really loved my mom. And she liked him. They were going out longer than I knew, long before she got sick. She wouldn’t let him turn her. He didn’t tell me all the details; guess it still hurt too much. At least it explained why he wasn’t at the funeral.

 

I let him go. How could I not? I think he was telling the truth, about the not killing. I don’t think she would have been seeing him otherwise, at least I like to think so.

 

So I’m not weird, not a groupie. Neither is Dawn.

 

We’re just mama’s girls.


End file.
